SBF to root and to unroot

[Diordna]

So with OTA 2.1 and I follow your thread, will that work out fine for me?
I have to tell you that idc much at all really for custom visuals. I want phone performance enhancement, stuff that will make my phone better not look different.

What ROM would you suggest in doing so, that does better things to the phone (excluding visual performance!)

Of course (to my knowledge?) I can get overclocking and wifi tethering by itself, just wanting to make sure I can get one of these roms that has more stuff than visuals to it.

If not, then is it really easy to just root and stay stock themed like a lot of users said they do? Just with wifi tethering and overclock? And maybe other cool stuff if recommended by you?

Rooting is pretty easy. Break it down into smaller steps and it is less scary. Get sprecovery on your phone. Those steps you know how to do now.

Next, go to the rom section of the forum here. Look at each of the roms. They each have screenshots, a list of what is included, and instructions.

I'll speak of SG because it's what I have inastalled now. It comes with wifi. It comes with the option to install a kernel that can be overclocked. Other roms have similar offerings. If you don't like what you picked you can go try another one.

So: sprecovery. Make a nandroid backup. Try a rom. Try them all. If overclocking doesn't seem worth it to you and you don't care for any of the themes, then do the nandroid restore, install wi-fi and keep the ese81 rooted version.

Do you overclock?
I just want to know why people wouldn't overclock, at LEAST to 800 (average right?)

I think I can do the rooting and the SPrecovery part if I really try. And I have to understand more about the nandroid backup too..

And all this is in your guide??

 

[Diordna]

Also, question about the OP.
The first thing is the RSD to PC. I understand unzipping it and installing drivers, but just keep all that on PC right now in this first step?

Also a little confused on the 2nd section and the 4th section, they both say the same at the bottom in blue. I see the difference in the black writings but again, I'm what you can "special" when it comes to this stuff

Also about SPrecovery, is that step even in the OP??


I'm guessing I'll be doing the 4th section of it, but answer these questions in a "for dummies" way please and I think I'm actually ready to do this thing!!

 

[christim]

The error code I get is this

"Failed Flashing Process. Failed Flashing Process. (0x7100)Phone Connected"

It's breaking ma balls

Edit: I did a quick Google search for that error code and it seems like I may not be running RSD Lite in admin mode. I am on an admin account, is there anything else I need to do to run the program as an admin?

You beat me to it then, because Google was where I would have checked next too. Is there another PC you can try this on? If the user you are logged on with is an admin you should be good to go.

Shift-right click should give you a "run as" option. I'll cross my fingers for you.

SDL.EXE is the process name running in task manager on my PC. Right-click the task b ar and open that up, go to the Processes tab and see which user is running that. Confirm it is SDL.exe by opening and closing RSD Lite and seeing the name appear and vanish from the list of running processes.

Hey Christim, thanks for the quick and imformative replies. I ended up just trying it on my fiances computer and it fired right up, everything went very smoothly and I am not the proud owner of a rooted phone.

A quick question while I am here. If I wanted to say, download Smoked Glass, do I just need to download it, rename it update.zip and put it in the root of my sdcard then boot in recovery and install (after wiping data and backing everything up of course)?

My first quick read came across as you tried it on her computer, it fried your phone and ou are not the proud owner of a rooted phone

If you want to load up smoked glass you read the directions at the 2nd link in my signature. That rom does not do an update.zip method of installation. But it is pretty simple to do.

 

[christim]

Also, question about the OP.
The first thing is the RSD to PC. I understand unzipping it and installing drivers, but just keep all that on PC right now in this first step?

Also a little confused on the 2nd section and the 4th section, they both say the same at the bottom in blue. I see the difference in the black writings but again, I'm what you can "special" when it comes to this stuff

Also about SPrecovery, is that step even in the OP??

I'm guessing I'll be doing the 4th section of it, but answer these questions in a "for dummies" way please and I think I'm actually ready to do this thing!!

Power off your phone. Hold down the X key and don't let go of it. Hit the power button and still hold down the X key. Up comes a screen. Hold down the camera and volume up button at the same time. You are at the stock recovery screen now. Just look at it, nothing more. Bunch of options. You can reset your phone, you can also manually apply a signed update.zip file. Turn your phone off again. You have just seen the stock recovery screen. It will not let you install non-official roms or other software.

Sprecovery is a replacement recovery application (not a step) that does let you install non-official software. It also lets you perform a nandroid backup (just think of it as a backup) and a nandroid recovery (just think of it as reinstalling something you already backed up. You need a replacement tool, like this to install roms and kernels. Clockwork is another such tool but don't worry about that for now. The op has instructions on how to install it on your phone using an SBF file applied through RSD Lite.

RSD Lite sits on a windows computer and also lets you install stuff to your phone. Install it, look at it. Plug your phone into it. Nothing happens unless you have a file to flash to your phone and you slap the START button.

Why would someone not overclock? For the same reason Moto doesn't ship the phone clocked at 800mhz or 1.1 ghz. The CPU is spec'd at 600mhz. You fry it, its all yours.

I read about folks OC'ing at 1.1ghz and thought that was pushing it a bit. I oc'd at 800 for a week, saw no issues and joined the crowd and have been at 1100mhz since the end of Feb. Start slow, see how it goes.

 

[Diordna]

Power off your phone. Hold down the X key and don't let go of it. Hit the power button and still hold down the X key. Up comes a screen. Hold down the camera and volume up button at the same time. You are at the stock recovery screen now. Just look at it, nothing more. Bunch of options. You can reset your phone, you can also manually apply a signed update.zip file. Turn your phone off again. You have just seen the stock recovery screen. It will not let you install non-official roms or other software.

This was a great explanation for dummies, wish most of the tutorials were said just like this. But you want me to do this just to look at it, then power off my phone again??


Sprecovery is a replacement recovery application (not a step) that does let you install non-official software. It also lets you perform a nandroid backup (just think of it as a backup) and a nandroid recovery (just think of it as reinstalling something you already backed up. You need a replacement tool, like this to install roms and kernels. Clockwork is another such tool but don't worry about that for now. The op has instructions on how to install it on your phone using an SBF file applied through RSD Lite.

Confused on the SPrecovery deal, but you recommend I just do this:

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/ha...rom-o-c-mm-boot-animation-etc.html#post290124

And nandroids will just be options I choose from there?


RSD Lite sits on a windows computer and also lets you install stuff to your phone. Install it, look at it. Plug your phone into it. Nothing happens unless you have a file to flash to your phone and you slap the START button.

A little confusing, but I think following instructions on this RSD thing will be fine (I hope)


Why would someone not overclock? For the same reason Moto doesn't ship the phone clocked at 800mhz or 1.1 ghz. The CPU is spec'd at 600mhz. You fry it, its all yours.

Thanks, I was just wondering thats all


I read about folks OC'ing at 1.1ghz and thought that was pushing it a bit. I oc'd at 800 for a week, saw no issues and joined the crowd and have been at 1100mhz since the end of Feb. Start slow, see how it goes.



BTW, I really appreciate this. I'm so sorry for asking all these questions, and probably annoying the crap out of you. But thank you very much. And when another noobie at the rooting thing comes along, direct him to this conversation ;]
Save you work in the future hopefully!

 

[Diordna]

Oh wait, also about the SPrecover, you have those files in your steps.
For step number 4, the one from Pete, is that file something else after I already installed SPrecovery (from lets say step 2) or do NOT install what's on step 2 and just do all of step 4 after normal rooting?

 

[christim]

Oh wait, also about the SPrecover, you have those files in your steps.
For step number 4, the one from Pete, is that file something else after I already installed SPrecovery (from lets say step 2) or do NOT install what's on step 2 and just do all of step 4 after normal rooting?

Rofl. Now you've got me confused
Take the number of letters in step 2 and divide by the number of characters in step 3. Multiple by the number of steps in step 1 and that gives you the sequence number for which you can apply pi so as to determine which steps you need to be performing.

I re-edited the first post with a table of contents at the top that gives a one sentence summary of each step.

Let us know where you want to end up. It will be a specific rom. It might be the one in the first post or it might be a different one. If you don't know that destination yet, take some time, visit the rom threads, see what each offers. Then pick. There is no right/wrong answer. You can always choose another later. Let us know, and we'll get you there.

 

[radar3d]

Rooting 2.1

Here is another way to gain root access to your moto droid if you are running stock 2.1

How-To Root your stock 2.1 Droid

:icon_ banana:

 

[christim]

Here is another way to gain root access to your moto droid if you are running stock 2.1

How-To Root your stock 2.1 Droid

:icon_ banana:

I checked the link, looks like it works, and looks pretty similar too.
For Windows users, the first part of getting sprecovery on the phone is the same. Then apply an update.zip via sprecovery. Same as the instructions above. The questions is, when you are done does your About Phone indicate it is Pete's rom, or something else? If it is Pete's the the instructions are the same, minus the credit.

It then instructs you to go install busybox but at that point you already are rooted. That's just a set of linux commands rolled into a single toolbox. A good tool to have but so is Metamorph, SetCPU or OverClockWidget, Rom Manager, Terminal Emulator, etc

 

[tc122701]

where does one find busybox it doesn't seem to be in the market?

 

[radar3d]

I checked the link, looks like it works, and looks pretty similar too.
For Windows users, the first part of getting sprecovery on the phone is the same. Then apply an update.zip via sprecovery. Same as the instructions above. The questions is, when you are done does your About Phone indicate it is Pete's rom, or something else? If it is Pete's the the instructions are the same, minus the credit.

It then instructs you to go install busybox but at that point you already are rooted. That's just a set of linux commands rolled into a single toolbox. A good tool to have but so is Metamorph, SetCPU or OverClockWidget, Rom Manager, Terminal Emulator, etc

Well,
1. You obviously don't know what you are talking about. When my process is completed you simply have a rooted phone with busybox installed, no new ROM or Kernel or anything just a rooted 2.1 phone so no credit is required thank you very much.

2. Without busybox most root requiring apps will not work like metamorph, titanium backup and many more so if folk want to run root requiring apps on their phones they will need busybox install, not someone trying to act like they know what they are talking about. You are welcome.

 

[christim]

I checked the link, looks like it works, and looks pretty similar too.
For Windows users, the first part of getting sprecovery on the phone is the same. Then apply an update.zip via sprecovery. Same as the instructions above. The questions is, when you are done does your About Phone indicate it is Pete's rom, or something else? If it is Pete's the the instructions are the same, minus the credit.

It then instructs you to go install busybox but at that point you already are rooted. That's just a set of linux commands rolled into a single toolbox. A good tool to have but so is Metamorph, SetCPU or OverClockWidget, Rom Manager, Terminal Emulator, etc

Well,
1. You obviously don't know what you are talking about. When my process is completed you simply have a rooted phone with busybox installed, no new ROM or Kernel or anything just a rooted 2.1 phone so no credit is required thank you very much.

2. Without busybox most root requiring apps will not work like metamorph, titanium backup and many more so if folk want to run root requiring apps on their phones they will need busybox install, not someone trying to act like they know what they are talking about. You are welcome.

Lol. Obviously I don't have a clue what I'm talking about.

Are you telling me the link's process does not first flash sprecovery via rsd lite and then apply an update.zip via the sprecovery app that just got installed?

I very clearly asked what was in the update.zip, asking if it was a Pete's rom (complete replacement ese81 rom that was rooted) or something else such as just the superuser.apk and busybox that was used to root the existing 2.01 stock without replacing the entire thing.

I was curious and was comparing the processes, not looking for some immature response.

As for credit someone created that update.zip file. Was it you? I haven't tried it but if it works as stated then someone did a pretty cool job doing so. Those who contribute to the droid community are those I like to give credit too.

 

[xcrider]

So i installed sprecovery. Anything else i need to do to install smoked glass? Do i need to wipe my phone? Im soooo confused... haha

 

[christim]

So i installed sprecovery. Anything else i need to do to install smoked glass? Do i need to wipe my phone? Im soooo confused... haha

Do your sprecovery nandroid backup. Use Astro to backup your apps to your sdcard. Follow the Smoked Glass install instructions. You will be asked if you want to wipe data and cache. Your option here. If you don't wipe and it works fine you are good to go. If the phone acts funky then do a restore, install SG again and take the option to wipe data and cache.

I'd do the wipe. You're going from one rom version to another.

It takes a couple minutes to get your phone signed up again. 5-15 minutes more to reinstall apps from the card and get your icons where you want them again.

 

[xcrider]

So i installed sprecovery. Anything else i need to do to install smoked glass? Do i need to wipe my phone? Im soooo confused... haha

Do your sprecovery nandroid backup. Use Astro to backup your apps to your sdcard. Follow the Smoked Glass install instructions. You will be asked if you want to wipe data and cache. Your option here. If you don't wipe and it works fine you are good to go. If the phone acts funky then do a restore, install SG again and take the option to wipe data and cache.

I'd do the wipe. You're going from one rom version to another.

It takes a couple minutes to get your phone signed up again. 5-15 minutes more to reinstall apps from the card and get your icons where you want them again.

Thanks! the first time i tried it got stuck at bootup. So the second time i wiped everything and it works beautifully.